Bad Advice
by kreidy
Summary: Scene filler for 716 TOW the Truth About London. Chandler and Monica discuss their night in London.


Bad Advice   
  
Author's note: This is a scene filler for 716 TOW the Truth About London. It was written for a fanfic contest at Friends Boards.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.  
  
Monica was pacing in her kitchen. She couldn't believe Phoebe had revealed her secret to Chandler. Her future husband now knew that she had initially wanted to sleep with Joey on that fateful night in London.  
  
"It's not as though I would sleep with him now," she thought.  
  
But when she started thinking about it, she finally realised how Chandler felt. Her boyfriend had always had low self-esteem, even though he hid it behind sarcasm and his sense of humour. Ever since they started dating almost three years ago, she had tried to improve his self-esteem, but to no avail. He had looked like she had slapped him in the face when she had told him about her original plan in London, and Monica knew she had to make him understand that the only thing that mattered was how much she loved him now. Monica let out a sigh and put her face in her hands. No wonder he was hurt.   
  
She looked around at the apartment they shared. Even though it still looked a lot like it did when Rachel lived there, there were several signs that things had changed. Chandler's "Die Hard" DVD box set sat proudly on top of the DVD-player after his "Die Hard" marathon last weekend. His Annie-CD was by the stereo. His brand new Playstation was hidden in the cupboard to prevent "annoying clutter" in front of the TV. His briefcase was on the counter in the kitchen. The long winter coat she had given him for Christmas hung by the door. The guest room was empty, but Monica hoped they would turn it into a nursery soon after the wedding.   
  
The apartment had always been filled with pictures of her friends and family, but now there were more pictures of the two of them than anything else. Her precious pictures of them were placed on prominent spots in the apartment, and Monica walked over to the end table and picked up her favourite photo. Phoebe had taken the picture on the night he proposed. Chandler was kissing her cheek, and they had their arms around each other. Monica had placed her hand on his shoulder, proudly showing off her beautiful engagement ring. Monica herself was beaming at the camera. It had been the happiest and most romantic night of her life.  
  
The door opened, and she spun around. Chandler walked in, looking quite dejected.  
  
"Hi," he said quietly as he began leafing through the mail on the kitchen counter.  
  
He avoided her eyes, and Monica sighed. She needed to do some damage control. She walked over to him and touched his arm.  
  
"Chandler, let's talk," she pleaded.   
  
He finally looked up at her and followed her over to the couch. She sat down on the table in front of him.  
  
"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Monica began.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were looking for Joey?" he asked, interrupting her.  
  
"I thought about telling you," Monica admitted. "I was going to tell you when we first started dating, but I was unsure whether our relationship could handle it. I didn't even know if you wanted to have a relationship with me. I knew I was falling for you a few weeks after London, but I didn't know how you felt about me."  
  
"What? Are you telling me you didn't get the memo I sent to you?" Chandler joked.  
  
Monica rolled her eyes, knowing that it was natural for him to joke in such a situation.  
  
"When you blurted out that you loved me on Thanksgiving, I was about to tell you I loved you too, but then you denied it. I realised then that I would have to wait. When we exchanged our first "I love yous," I knew we were strong enough to handle it. I knew I could tell you. However, I got some bad advice. Rachel and Phoebe wanted to know what happened in London, so I told them everything," Monica explained.  
  
"Everything?" Chandler raised an eyebrow.  
  
Monica turned slightly pink. "Well, I left out certain details. However, they did have a hard time believing the "seven times" part. Of course, that all changed the night Rachel went over to Joey's to get some peace and quiet. You know, the night with the strawberries?"   
  
Chandler grinned a bit and nodded. "Yes, but still.." He turned serious again. "I would have been able to deal with the fact that you were looking for Joey," he said.  
  
"Yes, and I'm so sorry, but Rachel told me to wait. She wasn't sure you could handle it, and I believed her. Remember, I hadn't been able to tell her I had a boyfriend, so it was such a relief to talk to her about you and our relationship."  
  
Chandler nodded. He could understand that. Even though Joey hadn't been too happy to keep their relationship a secret, he had been there for Chandler when he had wanted to talk about his relationship with Monica. He ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
"Okay, Mon, so you didn't tell me. However, you still went looking for Joey in London. Joey. My best friend. That hurts, you know? London was such an important thing for our relationship. What if Joey had been there that night? Would we have fallen in love?" He looked uncertain.  
  
"Oh, honey…" Monica leaned over and kissed him softly. "This," she pointed between the two of them, "was not a coincidence. I don't necessarily believe in fate, but I know that we've had something very special ever since we became friends. London only triggered something that was bound to happen."  
  
"Maybe." Chandler shrugged, still slightly hurt.  
  
Monica took his hands and tried to figure out what would make him believe her. She glanced down at the table, and suddenly she spotted the picture she had looked at earlier. She reached over and stared at it again.  
  
"Honey, I wish I could make you understand that my original, stupid idea in London doesn't matter in the long run. Joey had the reputation, and I knew he would forget all about it afterwards. I'm not going to lie to you; I did consider a one-night stand with you, but I knew that you would be hurt in the process. I didn't want to do that to you. You're not a one-night stand kind of guy, sweetie."  
  
"No, I'm not, but that's only because no one ever wanted to go out with me," Chandler quipped.  
  
Monica gave him a look.  
  
"Okay, I'm not," he admitted.  
  
"Besides, London only ranks as the second most romantic night of my life," Monica smiled.  
  
Chandler looked sharply at her.  
  
"What? If a night with one of your exes is the most romantic night of your life, you're making the worst apology in the history of the universe."  
  
Monica smiled warmly at him and gave him the picture.  
  
"No, honey. This is the most romantic night of my life."  
  
He grew silent as he looked at the picture. They looked so happy together, so in love.  
  
"It might have been a coincidence that we got together on that particular night in London, but our connection, our friendship, and our love for each other have kept us together ever since," she said softly.  
  
Chandler looked up at her, and his eyes were surprisingly shiny.  
  
"You're right," he smiled. "We're going to spend the rest of our lives together. That's what's important."  
  
"I love you," she said as he leaned over and kissed her passionately.  
  
They pulled back slowly, and Monica looked playfully at him.  
  
"I wasn't lying that night in London," she grinned. "You're still an amazing kisser."  
  
"I'm your future husband. I better be a good kisser," he chuckled and kissed her again. 


End file.
